The River of Time, a Link x Mipha Fanfic (BOTW)
by Eka Fricai un Shur'tugal
Summary: Link has conquered the vile Calamity Ganon, saving Hyrule and Princess Zelda, but can he conquer his own past? Will he remember who he was, and can he regain a love lost?
1. A New Journey

Author's Notes: Hello, welcome to my fanfic of Mipha and Link. A few things before we get started here: I can't commit to a regular release schedule. I've written ahead, but I haven't finished the story yet, and I can't promise I will have it done quickly. Secondly, this will stay in Teen. I will have one optional NSFW on the Mature ratings. Lastly, for your sake, this will take place after the game, with 100% DLC and story completion.

Zelda walked down the time worn path that used to be a major road in Hyrule. Her attention was consumed by the Sheikah Slate in her hands, as per her usual. Link casually strode behind her, her distracted and industrious pace eclipsing his relaxed steps, though he never let her get too far ahead: on more than one occasion, Zelda's passionate focus on her Slate had led to near accidents, such as tripping over a fallen limb, stepping into a hole, and, more seriously, nearly falling off of a cliff.

On that occasion, Link's quick thinking was the only thing between a living, healthy Zelda and a splat on the ground 150 meters below. He had jumped down the cliff in a swan dive and grabbed her, put her between his legs, and paraglided safely to the ground.

Link sighed thinking about the incident, and about how embarrassed Zelda had been. She had nearly lost her precious Slate when she fell, and was so abashed, she apologized for what seemed to be a thousand times. Link had casually played it off at the time, more admonishing himself for not being closer to her so that he could at least have grabbed her arm, but he couldn't help but chide her about the incident for the next two days, especially when she nearly tripped on her own feet the very next day. Smart and strong willed as she was, grace seemed to elude her.

Link's sigh gave Zelda pause. Usually, when Link had something to say, Zelda listened, since, being as he was so quiet, he usually only spoke up when there was something of importance to input. Expectantly, she looked over to him, and he stopped and pointed up at the sky. The sun was beginning its descent, and the afternoon was giving way to evening. Link would have continued onward regardless, especially since they were only a hour or two from the Zoras, but, that said, Zelda would tire, and she had a long day of working on Vah Ruta ahead of her. Better her take it easy than exhaust herself and be hurting tomorrow.

Looking up at the sun with a hand to protect her eyes, she sighed. "I had hoped we would arrive at our destination today, but it seems we are still shy of our goal. Oh well, I guess we shall make camp."

Link set about making camp while Zelda scavenged wood from a nearby patch of trees. She came back with a large handful of wood, flustered. Apparently a Korok had popped up and played a trick on her that had caused her to drop the wood she had gathered. She had shooed it away, but the incident had put her in an exasperated mood.

Link chuckled to himself, finishing up her tent. For his part, he slept on the ground outside: he was more comfortable that way in the temperate climate, and enjoyed seeing the stars overhead.

Zelda completed clearing a patch of grass for the fire, digging a small pit and grabbing nearby rocks as a barrier for the fire to keep it inside the ring. Link watched her as she worked, thinking about their relationship. He saw his own character in her: she was incredibly hardworking and dedicated to her tasks. If the tables were turned, and he were the one locked away with Ganon, he knew she would have stopped at nothing to save him and the world.

Admiring her diligence as she worked to light a flame on the bundle of kindling she had stacked in the fire pit, he set out their food, deliberating on what to do with the ingredients. Deciding that he could restock later, he selected the best ingredients he had, making an enduring steamed meat from a slab of gourmet meat and a few Endura Carrots for Zelda, figuring she could use the extra energy for tomorrow, and a hasty fried wild greens with a few bundles of swift violets, cooked with a shard of Farosh's Horn for good luck, for himself, to be able to keep up with Zelda's inevitably fast pace while taking it easy.

While he prepared the food, Zelda built a bed of coals in the fire, throwing larger logs she had found on the fire to build the heat. Link finished prep while she was finishing setting the kettle stand. He smirked as he remembered that she had utterly burned their food when the Champions had convinced her to cook for them on one of their team excursions. Revali regarded the food with his standard amount of contempt, while Daruk complemented her cooking prowess as he voraciously inhaled the rock-like chunk that once was a slab of roast meat. Urbosa tried to give Zelda some tips for next time. Link politely ate the crispy food, struggling to swallow the bites of food. For his suffering, he was admonished for not being his own person and for trying to cajole her. Mipha had, however, managed to add some greens as spices that admittedly made her food taste good.

A pang went through Link's heart as he thought of Mipha. He seemed to miss her just a bit more than the other Champions, though he still wasn't sure why. He figured it was because he knew her as a child, or so he had been told. The hardest part about his experience was not knowing who he was, or who he had in his life that were important to him.

Zelda must have noticed the change in his demeanor, as she asked, "What's wrong? Do you not know what you want to make?"

Link replied, "Memories."

"Oh…"

Zelda seemed almost guilty about Link's memory. She had confided that she felt it was the worst thing she had ever done to him, because it erased who he was. He had tried to assuage her guilt by reminding her that it was the only way to save him, but she just turned away, saying, "If only I could have been stronger for you… for everyone."

Link brought himself back to the present and scooped up the prepared food. He set about cooking while Zelda lounged, waiting for dinner. The pleasant smell of the dinner cooking and the campfire burning, coupled with the setting sun and gentle breeze, left Link feeling at ease. Link heard an electric noise behind him, and noticed Zelda taking photos of the scene. "It's a shame, because it's a beautiful view of the sunset, but it is lacking all of the other sensory information that is making this such a pleasant moment," she said, leaning back on her arms as she enjoyed the atmosphere.

"Memories have a way of latching onto a small bit of information and recalling everything that matters," Link said pensively.

Zelda looked over at him curiously, as though not pondering what he said so much as that he said it. She looked back out at the sunset, smirked, and said with a chuckle, "You are an uncanny person."

Link smirked, and sat up, looking at Zelda's meal and gauging how much longer it had. It was just about ready.

Link finished cooking both meals, and Zelda waited patiently for him to finish cooking his before starting hers. They ate in relative quiet, only interrupting the silence to remark on how good a particular bite of food was.

Zelda retired to her tent as the sun finished setting, though he could hear her fidgeting with the Sheikah Slate later into the night. Link, for his part, laid out and watched the stars turn slowly overhead as he fell calmly into a trance-like sleep.


	2. Memories of Past Happiness

The morning mist shrouded the landscape in a surreal atmosphere. Link, as he did most mornings, was training feverishly with his sword. The rushing of the water beside calmed him as he slowly and meticulously carried out a series of intricate moves, fine tuning his form to near perfection. Breathing calm and evenly, his sweat was the only thing that betrayed his exertion. The fog only added to the perspiration, leaving his clothing drenched.

A faint splash in the water interrupted the steady burbling of the stream, and, not breaking his motions, he looked back. Looking forward, he jumped in surprise as Mipha stood expectantly in front of him.

"Did I frighten you?" she asked with a grin.

Link gave a sheepish grin, and Mipha laughed, a pleasant giggle that made Link's cheeks burn.

"Sorry I interrupted you; you just looked so…" she trailed off, embarrassed.

Link took his turn smiling at the other's embarrassment. "Well," he replied, "I can get over _you _interrupting, but it'll cost you."

Mipha's posture tensed, and Link jumped her, tickling her to the ground. She begged him to stop, but when he refused to relent, she kicked out and rolled the two of them into the water. Link came to the surface, looking around expectantly. Mipha popped up in front of him and began tickling him back. He recoiled from the touch, and the creek drew them back to the edge. Grabbing her arms tight to his, he pulled her close. She smiled at him, baring her pointed teeth.

Link woke with a start. Wiping his face, he noticed he had a copious amount of tears running down his cheeks. "Was that," he thought, "just a dream, or was it a memory?"

Looking around, he noticed Zelda was sitting, messing with the smoldering remains of last night's fire. She looked over and saw that he was awake, and asked him, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," he replied.

Zelda sighed. She looked crestfallen, and Link wondered if he was talking in his sleep. Finally, she said, "You're beginning to remember her better then, hmm?"

Silence, then, "Yes."

Zelda sighed again. Dropping her stick into the embers, causing a small amount of flames to rise as the stick burned, she maneuvered over to Link and sat down next to him, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. "Is there any way I can make this easier on you?"

Link stared off, contemplating his response. Finally, he asked, "Were we together? Like, more than just friends?"

"Us?" Zelda asked incredulously.

"No, Mipha and I."

She paused, recognition flashing across her face, then, "I was so absorbed in my preparation for Ganon, I never considered…" she trailed off.

Looking down at the grass, she picked a blade, then said, "You and Mipha were closer than any of us. I am not certain, but for all I knew, you could have been lovers. Like I said, I wasn't particularly observant when it came to the personal relationships of the team. That said, she made you that armor. If I know my Zoran culture like I think I do, that is the symbol of an engagement."

Link blushed at the thought of Mipha and him being close enough to be engaged. The thought had crossed his mind before when Prince Sidon mentioned the meaning behind the clothing, but he had been so preoccupied with Ganon and, to a lesser extent, Vah Ruta. Now, however, the implications ran through his mind, torturing him with lost opportunities and the ever present reminder that still he didn't know who he was.

Zelda, seeing him deep in thought, gave him a hug, and said, "Perhaps when we get to Lanayru, some of the interactions will jog your memories."

She smiled a sad smile, then got up. Getting into her tent, she said, "I'm changing clothes, seeing as we are much closer to Lanayru and won't be traveling much longer. Are you going to change?"

Link thought about it, and decided to change as well. By the time Zelda walked out of her tent, Link had changed. When she noticed that he was wearing the Zora Armor, she paused, and started again saying, "Mipha really knew you well. It fits you perfectly."

Link smiled, and then offered to break down camp for her. Zelda refused, and said, "You do enough, Link, I'll break down my own tent. Would you mind covering the coals though?"

Link shoveled up the loose dirt they had dug out the night before and spread it over the embers. A sizzle came from the pit as some of the wetness from the dirt was heated and evaporated away. Rubbing his eyes, he told Zelda that he needed to wash his face, and asked if she would like him to bring some water back so she could do likewise. She said yes, so he carried a bucket, as well as their water skins, and walked down to the bank of the creek nearby.

The air was still as a fog lingered in the pre-dawn light. The landscape was beginning to wake up as songbirds began to croon their wistful songs. A fox, spotting him from afar, scurried off as he approached. The sky overhead was beginning to betray the coming sunrise, clouds turning red and purple as the light of the sun hit them at wider angles.

Link reached into the river with cupped hands, splashing the cold water across his face. Filling the water skins, then the bucket, he stopped for a moment. The stillness of the early morning was peaceful and serene.

Getting back to Zelda, she took the water to wash her arms and face. She then dumped the water on the dirt covering embers, emitting hissing noises where the embers had not yet gone out. Link gathered up the pack he carried the supplies in, and then they set out.


	3. Ancient Discoveries

Link was spacing out as they walked the last leg of their journey. Lanayru was a beautiful region, and normally he'd be sightseeing, but his mind was distracted. Zelda, for her part, however, seemed to put the morning's conversation behind her, as she had resumed her obsessive tinkering with the Sheikah Slate.

Link was particularly distracted when he noticed Zelda had stopped in her tracks. Looking over at her, he saw her eyes transfixed on something to their east. Stopping, he watched her as she slowly walked towards a rock formation. "What is it?" he called.

"That rock over there. There is something on it…" she trailed off. "Could it be?"

Her eyes widened with excitement, and she took off, sprinting towards the rock with reckless abandon. Link, surprised by Zelda's sudden energy, took off after her, barely keeping up even with the effects of the Hasty food he ate the previous night. She stopped at the rocks a few seconds before he arrived, standing in awe.

"I can't believe it. It has an ancient symbol of the Royal Family on it." With a furious flurry of tapping, Zelda used the Sheikah Slate. "There's nothing on here about this rock," she said, "Perhaps this place predates the Ancient Sheikah culture that created the slates."

Link noticed the area looked like it had been recently disturbed by a rockslide. Ignoring the fresh terrain, Zelda walked closer to the rock, Link just behind her. Zelda reached out and touched the symbol, and the symbol began to glow. A shining message appeared below the crest. "The Hand of the Hero will forge the path forward," Zelda read, looking over to Link. "I think it means you."

Link looked down at his hands. Suddenly, a glow came from the back of his right hand, and a surge of energy swelled within Link. Touching the wall, a blinding blue light shined upwards, and the rock in front of him dissipated.

Link looked at Zelda, her eyes wide with excitement. Taking a step in, she looked back at Link, saying, "Come on, let's see what is in here."

"What about Vah Ruta?"

"Oh, we'll get to it after we see what's in here. If there's too much to look at in there today, we'll come back after Vah Ruta."

Link looked quizzically at Zelda. She never put off working on a piece of Sheikah technology, especially a Divine Beast. Looking forward into the cave, he realized there was something very important about it for her to have changed her focus so completely.

Leading onward, Zelda followed behind as they descended further into the cave. A light around a corner flickered ahead of them. Coming around the bend, they came into a large room with magically sustained torches lighting the room with a flickering brilliance.

In the center of the room laid a large stone tomb. Zelda walked up. "It's written in an ancient dialect, far predating the ancient Sheikah who developed this great technology," she stated, reading the archaic glyphs intensely, "I… can't make it out entirely, but, based on what I can read, this is the official cenotaph of the Hero of Time!"

The sword on Link's back seemed to shift in response to Zelda's exclamation, as though it remembered Link's predecessor. Link stared at the tomb, only stirring when Zelda exclaimed "Oh my, these are such detailed notes!"

Link looked around the room, noticing a smooth shield with an odd face, a gilded sword, and some old, rusted, and decayed equipment.

Zelda, for her part, was absolutely gushing over the discovery, the camera function on the Sheikah Slate clicking at a fevered rate. She exclaimed every time she came upon something new. "The Hero of Time was said to be but a young boy, only 10 years old, when he became the Sword's Chosen! He saved Hyrule from Ganon, before he became a monstrosity, when he was a person by the name of Ganondorf.

After replacing the Sword, returning to his original time, he found a land known as Termina, which he saved from an ancient evil. He passed away as a knight of Hyrule, and is said to have returned in spirit to teach the Hero of Twilight."

Link grabbed the sword he had spotted, weighing it in his hands. The weapon sported an extremely well balanced, xiphos-styled blade with an unusual pattern of gold alloyed to the sword's titanium, creating an exceptionally hard blade. He also grabbed the shield, a medium sized shield with an unusually shiny boss that had a face imprinted upon it.

Looking up at the wall next to him, he noticed an engraving of an owl over the Triforce. Reaching out and touching it, he recoiled from a sudden glow of white light that came from the symbol.

A rumble came from deep in the rock, startling Zelda and leaving Link feeling uneasy. Link heard a sound that reverberated in the back of his mind, as though existing in a memory he shared but that was not his own. The doleful music seemed to settle his mind, leaving his soul at peace. Zelda seemed to be unable to perceive the music, as she frantically looked around, wary of her position.

Suddenly, the wall in front of them began to sink into the floor, causing a great shaking. The new opening gave way to an extended hallway. Link felt an unbridled sense of curiosity, and he began to walk forward into the cave, as though hidden by a will not his own.

Zelda came up behind him and grabbed his hand, warning him, "Link, he careful. This ruin is extremely old, and I don't want you getting hurt."

Link smiled back at her, and continued on, more slowly. He pulled out a torch, lit it, and continued on down the new hallway. Eventually, the stonework of the ruins gave way to dirt and a natural cave formation, which then gave way to a solid wood-like substance, like being in a large tree.

At the end of the tunnel was an incredibly deep, and dark hole. "This must go somewhere…" Link said, thinking aloud. He pulled out a second torch, lit it, then dropped it down the hole. The torch fell until no light came from it, and then who knew how long after that.

His curiosity unabated, he looked at his paraglider and then at the travel medallion. Setting the Medallion, he looked to Zelda. "Call me back in 5 minutes, I want to see what is down there."

She looked at him in shock, but he turned and jumped before she could say a thing. And he fell. And he fell.

Weird lights began to pass him by as he fell. Strange shapes formed from the lights, and he wondered if he was hallucinating. Finally seeing something below him, he pulled out the paraglider. Slowly coming down, he noticed a large, unusual plant, a pool of water, and a torchlit room. The whole enclosure seemed to be made of wood.

Link landed on the ground gently, and he put away the glider. He looked about the room, when he suddenly felt disoriented. A moment later, he passed out.

The sky overhead betrayed the storm that was about to hit. Link had seen a few lightning bolts far in the distance, so he was packing up his things. He loved spending time by the water, but he recognized the folly in staying out during a thunderstorm.

His things all gathered up, he looked expectantly out over the water. Suddenly, a streak of red darted out of the water, landing on the shore in front of him. Mipha smiled at him, while Sidon hid behind her legs. Her smile was entrancing, but he remembered that Sidon was present, so he didn't allow himself to be overt in front of the young one.

"All done for the day?" Mipha said with a mock pout.

"Yes," he replied, pointing up at the storm clouds. "No point in taking a risk."

Mipha sighed, then turned to Sidon, saying, "Brother, dear, it is time to go home. It's dangerous to be outside in a storm. We must make our way home."

"What about Mr. Link, big sis? Is he coming home with us?"

"I will make my way back, but I can't swim as fast as you can, little guy," Link replied.

Sidon smiled his big, cheesy, toothy smile, and he and Mipha turned to the water. Mipha looked back and smiled suggestively, then the two of them dived into the water and out of sight.

Link turned, noticing that the clouds had grown ever closer. Setting off, he made his way down the winding path up the Zora River. A flash of lightning gave him pause, and he switched out his gear for a less conductive garment.

The rain caught up to him in no time, coming down in a deluge. Lightning struck all around, and the wind howled against him. This was as bad of a storm as he'd seen. Seeing a cave, he took refuge, holing up until the rain stopped. An hour passed by, but the terrible storm continued onward, raising the river to unprecedented heights. He was safe in his cave, still, but there was cause for worry nevertheless.

Out of the howling wind came a voice, he knew too well. "Link!" Mipha shouted, distress in her voice, "Wherever you are, please hold on, I'm coming for you!"

Link smiled at her concern for him. Pulling out his sword and a piece of flint, he created a fire with the wood he was carrying with him. He waited until he heard the wet sound of feet on moist rock and labored breathing. Getting up and walking towards the front of the cave, the two saw each other. Mipha ran to him, burying her face in his chest as he hugged her closely. "Thank the Goddess you are safe," she breathed, "I was so worried when you did not come back that something terrible had happened."

Link held her tight to himself, feeling bad that he had made her worry so. She shivered from the cold, so he suggested they go further back into the cave where the warm fire would heat her up. They walked back, sitting down next to each other in front of the fire.

The closeness made Link feel hot, his heartbeat rising as the touch of her skin on his left him breathless. She snuggled closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder. He leaned his head on hers, in ecstasy from the close contact. After a minute of sitting in silence, Mipha shifted, turning her head to his. She bit her lip, then leaned in. Turning his head, he met her with a tender kiss. The kiss lingered, and what was tender became impassioned. Their breathing became heavy as they kissed. Mipha moved her hand to the inside of his leg, up by his knee, as he leaned back on his hands.


End file.
